This invention relates generally to a process of closing an end of a tubular food casing.
Food products such as sausage and other processed meats are often packaged in tubular casings which are closed at both ends. In many cases, the casings are tied or clipped at both ends, and a separate hanger is secured to the casing to enable draping or looping of the food-stuffed casing over a hook or rack device during smoking and other preparatory stages of processing. The hangers also provide a convenient way for retailers to store and display sausage and other tubular encased food products.
Obviously, then, a significant expense is incurred in providing hanger members for tubular food casings. A longfelt need has existed for a method of closing tubular food casings which would obviate separate hangers
Yet another problem with conventional closure methods such as tying or clipping the end of the casing is the resultant generally rounded shape of the end of the sausage or food product (see, e.g., Ernst, U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,668, Oct. 14, 1980). Ideally, a sausage should take on a perfectly cylindrical shape, flat on both ends. This shape is practically unattainable with conventional tubular casings using known methods of closure, and the resultant rounded ends result in undesirable shapes and wasted quantities of food product which the butcher or retailer frequently discards. Hence, a need has also existed for a method of closing a tubular casing which results in a more perfectly cylindrical shape of the encased food product.